Casey Schmitt ignited a six-run fifth inning with a two-run homer, Harrison Bader capped it with a grand slam and the San Francisco Giants used a rare power display to pull away en route to a 10-3 home win over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday afternoon.
Less than 24 hours after watching the White Sox put up nine runs in the fourth inning of a 9-4 triumph, the Giants found themselves in a 3-3 tie before putting up their own crooked number in the fifth.
Schmitt’s homer, his 10th of the season, came against Erick Fedde (0-5) after a one-out single by Luis Arraez and gave the Giants the lead for good.
A Matt Chapman double and two subsequent walks loaded the bases with two outs, ending Fedde’s day, before Jordan Leasure appeared to escape future damage by getting Bader to pop up. However, White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas lost the ball in the sun and watched it drop foul, after which Bader launched his third career grand slam to right-center field.
Willy Adames added a solo shot, his sixth of the year, in the eighth for the Giants, who recorded three home runs in the same game for just the fourth time this season and just the second time at home. San Francisco began the day tied for 27th in the majors in home runs.
Matt Gage (4-1) was credited with the win after going 1 1/3 innings, including getting the final out of the top of the fifth before the Giants’ explosion.
San Francisco starter Adrian Houser took a 3-0 lead into the fifth. He left after a Drew Romo RBI single, Sam Antonacci run-scoring infield out and Vargas RBI double tied the game. The right-hander was charged with all three Chicago runs on seven hits in his 4 2/3 innings, striking out five.
Fedde, who came on in the second inning following opener Bryan Hudson, allowed eight runs and 10 hits in 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three.
Arraez and Matt Chapman each had two hits and scored twice for the Giants, who ended a four-game losing streak. Schmitt finished with two hits and three RBIs, Daniel Susac drove in two runs, and Bader and Bryce Eldridge also collected a pair of hits apiece.
The homer was Bader’s fifth of the year.
Vargas and Tristan Peters had two hits each for the White Sox, who have alternated wins and losses in their last six games.
